SASA Program Successfully Reduces Gender Based Violence in Mzimba South with Support from KFW through Norwegian Church Aid and Danish Church Aid
Lowele described the changes that have occurred in their family since SASA's intervention.
Malawi: For many years, many people in Mzimba's Traditional Authority Khosolo were unaware that wife/husband battering and husbands denying women the right to join savings and loan associations were forms of gender-based violence, writes Blessings Gondwe.
"It was not until April 2022 that the Livingstonia Synod Health Department started enlightening the community on mechanisms of tackling Gender-Based Violence in the area through a program called Start Awareness Support Action-SASA,” said Wachi Divayson Mvula, 65, and his wife Inglet Lowole, 54, both from Robert Nkhata Village at Kanjuchi.
Lowole narrated, "I got married to him in 1988. We have four children together, but the marriage has not been enjoyable all these years. My husband would beat me for preparing his food late by an hour. He used also to beat me if I kept the money for milling my maize. He was telling me that women do not make decisions on financial matters, only husbands do. This led to a lack of prosperity in our family as he was using the money to drink alcohol, thereby neglecting our four children. I was trying to fight back, but I was always on the losing end."
Mvula added, "I used to beat my wife. I did not want to be questioned by my wife. I thought I had all the powers to dictate family matters. I used to keep the money for myself, I cared less about my children. She was the one taking care of the children, not me."
Lowele described the changes that have occurred in their family since SASA's intervention.
She said, "I met a Community leader who was trained by the SASA program to handle GBV cases here. The Community leader enlightened us that what I was facing was GBV, and together with my husband, we were civically educated to change our mindset. I and my husband understood and we realized many rights. Now, my husband is responsible and caring again. He allows me to budget our finances together. I am allowed to join the Village Savings and Loans Association. As I speak, we do tomato farming together, and through that, I have built a house. Whenever we argue, my husband does not beat me up, instead, we handle our matters peacefully."
Mvula also spoke about the changes in their family.
He said, "Yes, our family has been transformed through SASA. I do not beat my wife anymore. I budget agriculture earnings together with my wife. I drink responsibly now, knowing that as a parent, I need to be providing necessities for my children. We are the ones now tipping Community leaders if there is a GBV case in our area."
Chikondi Chisale, a Community Leader in Kanjuchi area, said that through the SASA program, they are working tirelessly to reach as many people as possible with messages of unveiling gender-based violence for the continued transformation of the area.
She said, "We aim to meet as many people as possible so that the change is not only made here but in the Khosolo area. Distances are long because we walk, we hope if there is any help from SASA in terms of the provision of transport, we would appreciate it."
Village Headman Robert Nkhata stated, "As a chief, I have taken a leading role in abolishing harmful cultural beliefs that are impinging the rights of women or fueling gender-based violence. Those who are battering their wives are fined by chiefs, and cases are reported to the police depending on their gravity so that justice is done. We have also abolished the cultural norm of locking a girl in a house for a week after experiencing a menstrual period for the first time. This is no longer the case as we encourage parents to provide menstrual hygiene pads so that girls do not miss classes during that period."
The reduction of Gender-Based Violence in the Kanjuchi area within a short period is seen through the fact that the figures of registered GBV cases at the nearby Mkoma Health Centre have dropped.
Mkoma Health Centre Medical Assistant Charles Moyenda reported that the facility registered 33 cases of GBV (injuries resulting from wife battering) between April to October 2021, while only 11 cases have been registered between April to October 2022.
He attributes the drop in GBV cases to the interventions that the SASA program has introduced in the Kanjuchi area.
Project Officer for Livingstonia Synod Health Department Chawanangwa Kwaule said, "It is the dream of our organization to continue with the good work we have started so that gender-based violence cases are greatly reduced in Mzimba South."
The program is a component of the N'zatonse program, which is being supported by KFW through Norwegian Church Aid and Danish Church Aid.